Mundelein annexes former farmland on Winchester Road

Mundelein's boundaries grew by nearly seven acres this week - and more expansion could be coming.

The village board Monday voted to annex land at 19908 W. Winchester Road, on the village's northwest side.

The land, which is just west of Midlothian Road, once was known as the Roppelt family farm. An occupied farmhouse and six storage barns still stand on the site.

The land had been in unincorporated Lake County. The current owner, Dan Beelow, sought annexation into Mundelein, village officials said.

Annexation allows the property to benefit from village services such as the police and fire departments and its water and sewer systems.

It also allows Mundelein officials to control future redevelopment there.

"Mundelein having some control over the property is good," Trustee Ray Semple said.

Redevelopment isn't planned at this time, but the owner wants to build a large, earthen berm across the north and northwest sides of the property to separate it from any future development to the north, village documents indicate.

A different portion of the old Roppelt farm was annexed into Grayslake in 2014 and developed into a regional trucking terminal in 2016. It's northeast of the site Mundelein annexed Monday.

Mundelein officials and some residents unsuccessfully challenged the Saia Inc. terminal project, disputing the annexation and the zoning for the project. But a Lake County judge tossed the case and that ruling has been upheld.

Beelow has more land nearby and additional annexations are possible, lawyer Gerald P. Callaghan told village officials before the vote.

That sounds good to Semple.

"We have planned on Mundelein going as far north as Peterson Road," Semple said. "This is pretty exciting for Mundelein."